Lily Potter and the Letters from No One
by MattTheFrenchie
Summary: Lily L. Potter begins her first year with her best friend and cousin, Hugo. She expects her year to be fun and lively- but she didn't expect to get threatening letters from someone she hasn't met before. Is this just a prank, or is it something dangerous?
1. Prologue

AN: Just a reminder - it may take awhile before I update on this story. But I promise I will update when I can. Also, this is Lily LUNA Potter's adventure, not her grandmother's. Enjoy and please review! I love to hear your thoughts. Oh, and this is a short prologue, but expect longer chapters! :)

Prologue

Lily woke up to her door creaking open, the light spilling into her dark and silent room. She cracked a smile, knowing that it was her mother waking her up for her important day.

"Honey, wake up," her mother said. "Today's your day!"

Lily jumped out of her bed and threw open her curtains, letting the early morning sun light into her room. She grinned wildly and turned around to face her mother, who quietly chuckled to herself. Not only was it Lily's birthday today, but it was the day when she went to Diagon Alley to get supplies for school. And, of course, this was the day when she would finally yield an actual wand, and not a toy one she had been using for years.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," her mother said with a grin just as wide as she hugged Lily. "Get washed and dressed; we're going to leave in about an hour with your brothers."

Lily groaned, "Do they _have _to go? Albus is okay, but does James have to go? He might play tricks and embarrass me!"

Her mother sighed, "Lily, your brothers have to get their supplies, too. And trust me—if James didn't have to get new robes and new schoolbooks, I would consider letting him stay home. Well, maybe not…you never know what he's up to. Anyways, go ahead and wash up. I'll see you downstairs."

Lily nodded her head and went into the bathroom to wash. She couldn't help but to smile as she got dressed and brush her hair in the mirror. Her mirror, as her birthday gift last year, told her what to fix and what to do as far as appearance. ('_Your hair is too frizzy, Lily.' 'Your shirt buttons are uneven!' 'You look beautiful today, Lily!'_)

"Brush your hair in the back, there are still some more tangles," her mirror said to her today.

Once Lily was all dressed in simple jeans and a long sleeved, buttoned shirt, she walked downstairs and into the spacious kitchen. Her father sat at the table hidden behind the _Daily Prophet_ while her mother finished up breakfast. On the island counter was a plate of stacked waffles, a plate of a mountain of scrambled eggs, a plate of crispy bacon, bottles of various types of syrup, a plate of toast…the variety went on and on. The kitchen smelled wonderfully to Lily and she walked over to the cabinet to get a plate.

"Happy birthday, honey," her father exclaimed before hugging her daughter.

"Thanks, dad," Lily replied, setting the plate on the island counter. Lily began arranging her breakfast, and soon she was interrupted by her father.

"You're not going to ask what you got for your birthday?" her father cried, surprised.

"…no?" Lily replied, almost as surprised as her father.

Her father glanced over to his wife and chuckled, "Isn't this odd Ginny—Lily isn't begging to know what her gifts are! This is a very strange shift, since Albus and James always bug us about asking for their bloody gifts." Lily gave a sigh of relief and finished arranging her plate and sat down at the table to eat.

Her mother and father went down to sit and eat with Lily when Albus and James appeared from the back door. James was dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans, returning from a friend's house. James was tall for a fresh 15 year old. Albus, however, looked like a 13 year old version of his father.

"Good morning, boys," their father greeted before formally eating his breakfast.

"Morning, dad," James replied with a lazy yawn. On his way to the island counter he patted his hand on Lily's head and said, "Happy birthday, oldie." Lily, used to her brother's remarks, simply rolled her eyes and continued eating.

Albus gave both of his parents a hug and wished his sister a happy birthday before eating. Lily always liked Albus. He was bright, charming, and warmer than her other brother—but Lily still liked James, though she never directly admitted it. She always liked playing games and watching him practice magic without his parents knowing.

Her mother groaned, "Boys, we're leaving in twenty minutes…can you please wash before we leave?"

"That was my intent," James replied. "But I must eat my breakfast first. Would you rather have me live, or die of hunger because you want me to take a bath?"

Ginny muttered, "I'll have to think of that one for a second—_just kidding, _James. Go ahead and eat, but make sure you boys find time to clean up."

The boys sat down and joined their family for Lily's breakfast meal. James was telling stories about how he and his friend had did some Muggle pranks (since his friend was a Muggle) and how they had 'T.P'ed someone's house. Their father laughed while their mother just shook her head disappointingly, murmuring something about their uncle George under her breath. Albus told them how he had went on a run around the neighborhood and how he had spotted an owl flying around.

"I wonder if someone near here has discovered they are a wizard and got their acceptance letter from Hogwarts," their father suggested. "It happened to me, you know—let's just hope that their parents accept it, unlike my uncle and aunt." Their father barely talked about their Great Uncle and Aunt Dursley. He just said how they weren't the nicest and that they haven't kept in touch ever since he turned 17.

"Hopefully," Lily sighed. "I want a friend before I go to Hogwarts."

"You'll have friends!" her mother exclaimed. "You have your brothers, though I don't know if you'd count them as those. Your cousin Hugo will be a first year this year, too."

Lily replied quietly, "But I want a friend who isn't a part of this family…"

Her father put down his fork and said, "Lily, you _will _make friends. I went to Hogwarts without knowing anybody. But then I met your Uncle Ron on the train there, and also your Aunt Hermione. And look how it turned out—we're family now! You have nothing to worry about. And maybe, just maybe, you'll make a new friend at Diagon Alley today."

"Hopefully."

James loosened the tension by continuing his adventure through the neighborhood with his friend. He talked about being in a car with his friend and his friend's parents, he talked about a box that showed people acting on a screen (their mother stared blankly, but their father seemed to know what he meant), and he just rambled on about Muggle items. Lily sat in her chair, anxious about the day. She began to think about Hogwarts. Would she be put into Gryffindor like all of her family? Or would she be put into Slytherin? Though she felt like she was pressured to be in Gryffindor, she would like to be in Ravenclaw like her cousin Rose.

The boys finished their breakfast early and went to wash. Usually Lily would help with the dishes, but her father had volunteered to help her mom wash them. So Lily, free to do whatever, went about to the sitting room and began to read one of her favorite novels. But she was drawn to one of her weaknesses: eavesdropping. She heard her mom and dad talking in the other room.

She sat the book down on the couch and leaned her body against the wall near the kitchen door and listened.

"…are you sure you want to give her your old Firebolt for a birthday present?" her mother whispered.

"Yes, Ginny," her father replied just as quiet. "It's fast and in good shape."

"That's what I'm worried about—_speed. _Beginner flyers need something slower. How about one of those old Cleansweeps? I started off well on one of those and look where I went. I was on a Quidditch team for _years _and I didn't even ride a Firebolt until then."

Lily smiled. She had never ridden a broom before. And she was excited that she would be able to ride an original Firebolt, which was still one of the fastest brooms on the market. It only fell behind the Firebolt 2.0, which no one at Hogwarts owned because not only was it expensive, but they couldn't handle the speed.

"We'll decide later at Diagon Alley," her mother said, ending the conversation. Lily could tell her father was smiling. He always wanted Lily to learn how to fly.

Ten minutes later everybody stood in the sitting room. They stood by the fireplace with a flowerpot full of Floo Powder on the mantle, their father the nearest to the fireplace.

"Remember, we are going to Diagon Alley. It should take us right to the Leaky Cauldron, but if we should ever be separated, we will meet in front of Gringotts. Understand?" their father said. James nodded his head lazily, Albus nodded his head intently, and Lily bit her lip nervously. It was her first time traveling by Floo Powder since they had always Apparated there before.

Their father entered the fire place with a handful of Floo Powder, gave his family a wink, and yelled, "_Diagon Alley!_" He dropped the powder and he was engulfed in emerald flames. Lily gave out a small yelp as she watched her father being eaten by the flames; and then he was gone. James went next, and then Albus, and then her mother motioned Lily into the fireplace.

"Mum, I'm nervous," Lily said. She could feel butterflies in her stomach.

Her mom held Lily's hand and replied, "There is nothing to worry about, Lily. This is one of the most reliable ways of transport in the Wizarding World. All you have to say is 'Diagon Alley' very clearly, and you should be with your father and brothers a split second after. Trust me, darling."

Lily let out a sigh and nodded her head. She walked into the large fireplace, her blue shoes digging into the ash. Her mother held out the pot of Floo Powder and Lily grabbed a handful. She gave her mother one last look before yelling, "_Diagon Alley_!" Her shaky hands unclenched and the powder fell, her heart racing…

Then she was spinning.


	2. Birthday Surprises

Birthday Surprises

Lily was spinning in an endless cloud of ash. She could feel the heat of the flames on her skin but they did not burn her. The sensation was almost like Apparating but it tickled her stomach, and she could not help but to laugh. Before she knew it, the spinning stopped and she was lurched forward and out of a fireplace. She was introduced to a different setting: the friendly setting of the Leaky Cauldron.

James sniggered as she walked past him to her father.

"Dad, that was amazing!" Lily exclaimed. "Can I do it again?"

Even her own father was chuckling. "We'll go back home through the Floo Network again if you want, sweetheart. But next time, try not to laugh—we could hear you coming because of your contagious giggles." Lily blushed wildly and turned away from the crowd. She could feel some of the witches and wizards staring at her.

Moments later their mother appeared from the fireplace, brushing off some ash from her cloak. "Did everybody get here safely?" she asked, being the cautious mother she was.

"Of course," Albus said. "I think Lily even enjoyed it."

"That's good!" their mother exclaimed as she patted her daughter on the back. They walked across the bar to the backdoor, though it was a bit difficult. Everybody wanted to catch a glimpse of their legendary father and his family, and even some witches and wizards came up to talk to them. Lily was a bit used to the fame. She was even approached by a man at Diagon Alley a few years ago to be photographed for a tabloid, but her mother objected and they left immediately. Still to this day, people wanted to snap a picture of Harry Potter's famous little daughter.

They went out back into a small patio where the Leaky Cauldron kept their trashcans and where alley cats roamed. Their father took out his wand and tapped some bricks on a wall, and stepped back. Lily watched with amazement as the bricks began to move. Though she had been to Diagon Alley plenty of times before, she still was amazed by the moving brick wall. The bricks realigned to make a gap in the wall.

James was the first to enter Diagon Alley. He was eager to return to his uncle's joke shop, which was one of the most popular shops in Diagon Alley. Lily's father rolled his eyes and followed his son, calling behind him, "Go to Gringotts so we can get the supplies! I'll meet you at the joke shop when you're done!"

Albus sighed, "James…he can never control himself."

Lily entered Diagon Alley with the rest of her family. The crooked street was packed with many students and their parents shopping for school supplies. As they passed the ever-so-active shops, they were stopped by people that their mother knew. One woman, by the name of Pansy Parkinson, exclaimed their mother's name and shook everybody's hand. She had long, greasy black hair and had a nasty smile.

"You remember me, right?" the woman cried. Her teeth were yellow from rot and her skin was almost as greasy as her skin.

Lily's mother smiled and replied, "Of course I do. You were the one who wanted to give up my husband to the Dark Lord so you wouldn't have to fight. How could I _not _remember you?" The woman's smile faded and she backed away and fled into the crowd, blushing madly. Lily could've sworn she heard the woman swear under her breath. Lily's mother looked down at Lily and muttered, "Don't ever become friends with anyone with the last name Parkinson…unless you want to end up like _her._"

Lily nodded, confused whether her mother was saying that seriously or jokingly. They continued the walk through the crowd until they reached the tall, magnificent building of Gringotts. Lily had not been inside herself, so she was giddy with excitement to finally see the family vault. "Remember," their mother said. "No fooling around. The security at Gringotts is very serious, they won't tolerate any horseplay."

"Mum, you needn't worry," Albus replied. "James isn't here."

"I guess you're right," their mother chuckled before opening the doors for them. Lily entered first and was bewildered by the sight. The lobby of Gringotts was the most glamorous place she had ever seen; the floor was of pure marble with a red carpet leading up to a high desk, where a goblin sat, looking down at some papers on his desk. There was a beautiful crystal chandelier hanging low, so low that her mother could probably touch the bottom of it. The ceiling was high and arched with beautiful carvings of showers of gold. Her mother led her and her brother down the carpet. Lily made sure to walk as elegant as she could, but she saw the smirk on Albus' face and stopped.

They reached the goblin at the desk.

"Name?" the goblin croaked, his beady black eyes examining them.

"Ginerva Potter," their mother replied.

"Identification?"

Their mother pulled out a golden key from her pocket and handed it to the goblin. The goblin ran his long fingers over the key, inspecting it as though it was a rare jewel. He then asked, "Which vault do you wish to visit?"

"The family vault."

_There's more than one vault? _Lily thought to herself. Before she could think more about the topic, she was forced to follow the goblin to a set of bronze gates behind the desk. The security guards nodded their heads and opened the gates once they saw the goblin. Lily passed the security men, feeling their stare search every inch of her body for something suspicious. She couldn't blame them—seeing how famous her family was, there were bound to be lunatics who would try to break into their vault.

The goblin led them to a small mine car. It looked as though only two people could fit, but as more and more people got in it, the car expanded to fit. Lily was the last one to sit and she searched for a buckle, but there was none. Her mother patted her leg softly and said, "Don't worry, honey. The speed will keep us in, trust me."

Lily nodded her head nervously, seeing how there was nothing she could do. She clenched the side of the car and waited until…

The car started slowly, going no faster than a person riding a bike. But then it started to gain speed…then it went faster…and faster…and _faster. _Lily didn't realize that they were descending deeper into the ground until she saw that they were on level 5, which was approximately 5 miles underground. Lily couldn't help but to scream with excitement as they went down further—even her mother let out a stifled laugh. The goblin turned to look at them and shook his head, as though Lily's behavior was absurd.

The mine car suddenly came to a jerky stop in front of a big metal door. In silver engravings it read: _703_. Lily followed her family out of the car and they watched as the goblin approached the door. He pressed his little palm against the door and inserted the key into the lock. Lily cocked her head to see exactly what he was doing. The goblin was doing something to his fingers as he unlocked the door with the key. Suddenly the doors made a loud _click! _noise and they creaked open, spilling golden light in the dim cavern. The goblin stood back and motioned them inside.

"C'mon, let's hurry," their mom sighed. "We don't want to keep your father waiting."

Lily took her first step into the vault. Her jaw dropped as she saw piles and piles of Galleons all against the wall, and those piles even got so big that they spilled out into the aisle of the vault. At the very end of the aisle was a table where a long sword sat upon it. Lily eagerly approached the table, but Albus called, "Lily, don't go over there! Mom will flip out!"

"I can _hear _you, Albus," their mother snapped. "Lily, please don't go over there. You're not allowed to touch that."

Lily nodded obediently and went back to her mother. She was scooping up gold and putting it in a pouch she wore around her neck. She then picked up ten galleons and gave them to Lily and said, "You can buy whatever you want in Diagon Alley with this. But make sure you spend it well. Don't go wasting it as your uncle's shop like your brother." Lily took the money and tucked the gold safely in her jeans pocket. Lily was never keen on the idea of money, so she never complained if she had no money and she didn't get excited if she had a lot of money. As long she was comfortable, she was happy.

Her mother stopped scooping up gold and said, "That should be enough. We'll have money left over if anyone wants ice cream after a long day of shopping." She escorted Lily and Albus out, making sure no one was still left in the vault, and nodded to the goblin that they were finished. He closed the vault door, locked it with the key, and went over to the mine car with the family.

The ride was almost as exhilarating as before to Lily. As they ascended, she could see other carts passing them and could even see glimpses of goblins at other vaults. She didn't even realize that she was leaning over the edge of the cart before her mother pulled her back in. Then she got a lecture about leaning out of Gringotts carts, but she didn't listen; all she could do was gaze at the astonishing sight before her. The journey ended abruptly when the cart came to a halt, and they were back where they had started: right outside the bronze gates.

"Please exit through the bronze gates in which you came in, and then you will be taken to the lobby. Thank you for coming to Gringotts, where your money is always as safe as can be," the goblin said with no emotion, getting out of the cart once everybody was out. Lily could tell he was so used to that motto that it made him utterly bored. Lily and Albus followed their mother out of the platform and back into the magnificent lobby. There were more people in the lobby now, most of them parents with their children. Lily even spotted one of James' friends, though she couldn't exactly make out their name.

"Well, that was exciting," their mother said, referring to Lily's excitement. "Now we're off to get your spell books. Albus, take this money—" she handed her son some Galleons "—and go to Flourish and Blotts and get your schoolbooks and Lily's too. If you need help, make sure to ask the shopkeeper for help. I need to go the joke shop to meet up with your father." She kissed both of her children on the head and went off to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, their uncle's famous joke shop.

Lily followed her brother to the grand bookstore that was not far from the Leaky Cauldron. Since many people were at Gringotts, Flourish and Blotts was not as busy as it usually was. Lily took her first steps into the store as a customer and was astonished to see how many sales the store was having. The schoolbooks were on sale, of course, but some books of interest were on sale, too, such as _Little Witches, Love at First Hex, _and _Bewitching Galore. _Albus saw her spotting the books and shook his head and said, "Remember, you're here to get schoolbooks, not sappy girl books."

Lily opened her mouth to protest but backed away and muttered, "Alright."

Albus read the list carefully and shopped for the books. Lily tailed along, eager to open her first spell book to see what kind of spells she would be studying—but all of her excitement abruptly ended when she realized she didn't have one of the greatest necessities that a witch needed—a _wand. _

After she had gotten a first year spell book, _Hogwarts: A History_, _Magical Draughts and Potions, A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration, _and a couple other books, it was now Albus' turn to shop for his books. Lily groaned and trailed away from her brother to catch a glimpse at a pink book with a picture of a familiar, beautiful witch on the cover. The title was written in gold lettering that read: _Dealing with Wizards in a Witch World. _Lily reached inside of her robe pocket and felt over the Galleons…this _did _look like a good book—

"I wouldn't get that if I were you," a smooth voice said. Lily jumped and turned around to face a handsome boy with short white hair.

"And how would a boy like you know taste in books for girls?" Lily retorted, crossing her arms.

He cracked a smile and replied, "Well, the author of the book has been sent to Azkaban for torturing wizards in her time for just being of the male species. That's why the price is so low." Lily turned back to look at the woman on the cover. She did remember seeing her face on the front of the _Daily Prophet _not so long ago.

Lily turned back to face the boy and muttered, "Oh—well, thank you for stopping me from buying that book."

"No problem," the boy replied, his voice as soft as velvet. "I don't believe I formally introduced myself. My name is Scorpius." He held out his hand and Lily shook it politely.

"My name's—" Lily began, but then something stopped her from speaking. She saw her mother standing outside one of the windows with a fluffy, snow white cat in her arms. Their eyes met and her mother smiled, mouthing the words '_Happy birthday!' _Lily forgot all of her manners and exclaimed, "A _cat! _I'm so sorry Scorpius, but I-I have to go."

Lily was halfway to the door when Scorpius called, "Wait!"

Lily turned and asked impatiently, "What?"

"…will you be attending Hogwarts this year?" Scorpius asked with a grin.

Lily replied, "Yes, I'll be a first year this year. I hope I get to see you again, Scorpius." And so she left.

Lily met her mother outside with the cat. "She's so _cute!_" Lily exclaimed, her voice high pitched as she rubbed her fingers through the cat's fluffy fur. The cat purred and rubbed its head against Lily's hand. "What's its name?"

"It's your choice, Lily," her mother replied, handing the cat over to her daughter. "After all, the cat's not only your birthday present, but it's your pet for school." Lily snuggled with her cat, a thousand possible names racing through her mind right now. "But you don't need to come up with the name right now," her mother added. "It's best if you don't because you want your pet to have meaning. Now c'mon, let's go get your wand and we'll be done shopping."

Lily couldn't get happier. Her mother entered Flourish and Blotts and told Albus where they would be, and then they started off for Ollivanders Wand Shop.

"Is the cat a girl or a boy?" Lily asked, not wanting to check.

"It's a girl," her mother replied. "Is that okay?"

"It's spectacular! Mum, I've always wanted a cat!" Lily exclaimed, still running her hands through her cat's fur.

Lily entered the wand shop alone, since it was tradition to be chosen a wand by one's self. Lily looked at her surroundings. The shop was fairly old compared to newly renovated shops like Flourish and Blotts and Twilfit and Tattings (where people as affluent as the Potter family would shop, but due to their past business with witches and wizards involved with Dark Magic, the business was doing poorly and tried to lure people by nice looks). Though the shop was old and had the smell of old wood, it was heavily air conditioned and even Lily started to shiver. She walked up to the front counter, which was almost as tall as her, and rang the bell.

"Just a minute!" an old man's voice called.

Lily sighed and continued to observe the shop. On the sides of the rooms were shelves with wand boxes stuffed in them. There were burn marks on the walls that looked like they had been cleaned furiously, but it seemed that they could never get out. The shop was dimly lit with one or two candles about. _How is this one of the most legendary shops in Diagon Alley when it's in such an old condition? _Lily thought to herself.

"How may I help you today?" the old man asked. Lily turned around to face the man, and the man immediately beamed and said, "Miss Lily Potter. I was just wondering when you'd come by my shop to get your wand."

Lily questioned, "How do you know my name, sir?" But then she realized that what she said was a bit obtuse, since her face was well known due to her father's fame.

"Please, Mr. Ollivander," the man replied croakily. "I know your name because of your parents, of course. They came here when they were just your age to get a wand—and I can distinctly remember your father's parents as well. It doesn't seem that long ago when I gave your father his legendary wand…in fact, it just seems like days ago." Mr. Ollivander sighed in thought and continued, "Now I imagine you're here to get your wand."

Lily said anxiously, "Yes, I am." She began to feel nervous. Getting her first wand meant becoming a real witch.

Mr. Ollivander gave her a nod and walked over to one of the shelves. After grazing the boxes with his thin index finger, he finally picked a box and set it upon the counter. He unveiled a beautiful, pure white wand. He handed it to her and said, "11 ¾ inch yew wand, dragon heartstring core. Please, give it a wave."

Lily grabbed hold of the wand nervously and twirled it aimlessly. Violent red sparks burst out and ricocheted off the walls and hit a portrait, busting it off the wall. Lily put the wand on the counter with haste and looked up at Mr. Ollivander, who chuckled. "Don't be afraid, dear," Mr. Ollivander said. "It's perfectly normal for a new witch or wizard to cast magic beyond their control, especially on wands that are not to be theirs."

He went back over to the shelves and picked out another box, this time handing over Lily a beautifully carved dark brown wand. "12 ½ inch willow wand, unicorn hair core."

Lily swished the wand, this time sending a wave of energy that forced everything on the counter onto the floor (even the faulty wand that she yielded beforehand). Mr. Ollivander clicked his tongue and sighed, "Well, that's obviously not the one for you. I think I might have a wand that will fit you, though. Let me go fetch it."

Lily put the wand on the counter and watched the old man go to the shelves once again. Lily began to doubt her abilities as a witch. What if she turned out to be a Squib? The thought made her cringe—being a Squib meant extremely limited magic. She probably couldn't even levitate objects, being a Squib.

Mr. Ollivander returned with another wand, this time the wand being a simple, ordinary wand. It wasn't as unique as the pure white wand or as beautifully carved as the brown wand. This wand was a light brown wand with no visible uniqueness about it. Lily reluctantly took the wand, but was surprised by how it vibrated in her hand. She bit her lip and pointed the wand high in the air, and suddenly golden sparks burst out the tip and showered around her. Mr. Ollivander beamed as Lily looked up at the wand with her jaw dropped. She could feel the magic in her veins transferring into the wand, and releasing at the tip like a waterfall.

"Somehow I _knew _that would be your wand," Mr. Ollivander exclaimed, smirking.

Lily lowered the wand and the sparks stopped. She asked, "How?"

"Your wand is made of Holly, just like your father's," Mr. Ollivander explained, swishing his own wand and levitating the strewn objects on the floor back onto his counter. "But it also has your mother's core, which is _Veela hair._"

"Veela hair?" exclaimed Lily, examining the wand. "My Aunt Weasley, who is French, her wand is also of Veela hair. Isn't that _extremely _rare, especially in Britain?" Suddenly her wand was interesting to her.

Mr. Ollivander nodded his head. "Even your own mother doesn't know the core of her wand," he said, nodding his head to her mother, who was waiting outside on a bench with Lily's cat. "See, the Veela hair in your wand makes your wand very special. Your wand is rare as can be, Ms. Potter, for your wand is one of the most powerful dueling wands in the Wizarding World."

"Dueling? You mean…I can _duel _with this wand naturally, and I won't need to really practice dueling?"

"Now, I wouldn't go _that _far," Mr. Ollivander replied. "You still need to practice hard to master the art of dueling. But you shouldn't be concerned with a serious subject like dueling at your age, Miss Potter. Just take care of that wand—there are very few like it."

Lily held the wand in her hands, examining it with careful eyes. How could a wand with such a simple design be so powerful? She could still feel it slightly vibrating in her hands. It was eager to be used for magic, for transfiguring, for _dueling. _Lily had an urge to point her wand at a random spot in the room and go silly, but, being the polite girl that she was, she restrained herself and bought the wand at the counter.

"I expect great things in your future, Miss Lily Potter," Mr. Ollivander bade farewell with a twinkle in his eye.


	3. Dreams and Quarrels

Dreams and Quarrels

Lily was eager to use her wand once she returned home. She ran upstairs into her room and scattered all of her new items onto her bed. She quickly sorted out the textbooks until she found _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1. _She turned to the first page, which was an introduction from the author explaining the adventure that the reader will have as they explore the world of magic by learning spells. Lily thought that the introduction was a bit cliché, so she turned to the second page, which began teaching her about wand movements—

Her door opened and in came a rowdy James.

"How do you like your new wand?" he inquired, snatching Lily's wand from her bed.

"Give it _back, _James!" Lily cried. "I don't want your grimy hands smudging it! Give—it—_back!_" She jumped, trying to catch hold of her wand that James had high in the air.

He smirked and said, "I just want to test it out…"

Lily, after coming to the realization that she would never get her wand, scoffed, "Fine, but just one spell. But please, don't ruin it."

James smirked and replied, "I'll try not to." He examined the wand by twirling it through his fingers and swishing it in the air. His eyebrows narrowed as he indicated, "Your wand is very…drab. It doesn't look like anything special like _my _wand."

Lily knew well about her brother's wand. It was a highly polished, jet black wand that matched his hair. The wood was carved at the bottom to make a graspable handle so it didn't slip easily from his hand. She was especially jealous of his wand when he performed tricks for her, such as the spell that conjured up a snake (though, she would get scared if it came near her). The appearance made the wand look alive and powerful.

"I find it beautiful," Lily retorted.

"You would," James mumbled, examining the wand further. "But your wand…there's something different about it, I just don't know what makes it special." He stopped observing the wand and pointed it at one of her textbooks.

"_James!_"

"_Windgardium Leviosa!_" he muttered, swishing Lily's wand. The book shook a little and gave a little jerk. James said the spell again, but the book did the same thing. He turned to Lily and suggested, "Your wand must be faulty. Looks like you're going to have to go to Hogwarts without a wand! _Ha!_"

Lily groaned, "James, I'm not that gullible. My wand works, you're just making it seem like it's broken."

She snatched the wand from her brother and pointed it at the book. He took the wand away from her again and snapped, "And _what _do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to do that spell you just did—"

"Oh no you're not!" James argued, holding the wand high up in the air so Lily couldn't reach. "It's very dangerous to attempt a spell without proper training, even if it's a simple spell like Windgardium Leviosa."

"James, it's my wand, I'll do whatever I want with it!" Lily snapped, clawing her brother.

"James, _put that wand down! _Lily, stop clawing your brother!" their mother yelled from the threshold. James turned to face his mother, frowned, and tossed the wand onto Lily's bed. Lily backed away from her brother, her temper slowly drifting away. "James, why on Earth were you holding your sister's wand?" their mother demanded, walking in and grooming Lily's hair.

James rolled his eyes and explained, "She was going to attempt a spell without practice! You know that's dangerous, mum."

Lily's heart dropped as her mom looked down at her and asked, "Is it true? Were you going to attempt a spell?"

"Well…yes, but James was playing with my wand, and he said it was broken, so I wanted to see if it was _really _broken!" Lily stated, glancing at her brother and to her mother. Her mother looked back at James with a disapproving frown.

"And _why _would you do that, James?" their mother questioned, glaring at her son.

"Oh come on, mum!" James cried, throwing his hands up in the air. "You always take Lily's side, _always! _You have to stop treating her like she's some innocent golden child! She's going to be starting Hogwarts this year; she needs to learn responsibility for her actions!" This sounded thick, especially coming from a joker like James.

Their mother sighed and shook her head. She replied, "Well…James, please don't touch Lily's wand anymore. Lily, don't claw your brother anymore."

James smirked at his sister while their mother looked down at Lily. Lily scowled and muttered, "Fine."

"Good, it's settled," their mom said cheerily, clasping her hands together. "Get washed soon, dinner will be done in a few minutes." She walked out of the room, leaving the two siblings giving each other dirty looks.

"Get out," Lily ordered.

James shrugged and said, "Whatever. And I'd seriously get that wand checked if I were you." He walked out casually and left Lily to fume the remaining anger out of her system. She slammed the door shut and smothered her face in her pillow and let out a stifled scream. She hated whenever James made her feel little and useless, especially when it was on her birthday—her _eleventh _birthday, she thought sourly to herself.

She picked up her wand and spoke to it, "You're not broken. You're just…special. Just like Ollivander said." She spoke to the wand as though it was her child. In fact, it was basically Lily's child. This was one of the tests of responsibility: to keep care of your wand. She put the wand in her front pocket and went downstairs for dinner, leaving the recent quarrel with her brother behind her.

—

The next few days were boring to Lily. She had already packed all of her things for Hogwarts, except for her spell book, which lay on the end table near her bed. She knew that she was forbidden to use it until school started. Not only would it be dangerous, but she didn't want to practice magic and have her parents find out about it—or worse, the Ministry. But Lily knew that if she did magic with her parents around, the Ministry wouldn't be able to detect whether it came from her or from her parents. Though these excuses would keep her unharmed from the Ministry, she still kept herself from doing any spells…though she was tempted whenever James made fun of her.

Her father's 39th birthday passed and Lily soon realized that she was going to leave for Hogwarts in less than a month. She heard many stories about the magnificent castle and the warming atmosphere, but it seemed to be too good to be true. She couldn't imagine leaving her parents for a school year—though, she _would _have plenty of family. There were her two brothers, and then there were Hugo and Rose, her favorite cousins. Then there would be Louis, who would be in his 6th year, and Dominique, who would be in her 7th year. Lily never really knew them that well, though. Then there was Molly, the only child of her Uncle Percy, who would be a 4th year.

"So many cousins," Lily groaned at the thought.

It was the day before they left for Hogwarts when Lily decided to take a walk around the neighborhood with her brother, Albus. She lived in a fairly small neighborhood surrounded by Muggles, though there were some witches and wizards who lived nearby. The houses were architectural masterpieces, some even reached up to five stories. The Potter house was a modest three story house with a large courtyard out back that faced a line of trees. Behind those trees was a magnificent wide river, and on the other side was a thick forest. Their yard was always neatly trimmed and green, due to her mom's excellent household and lawn enchantments. Their house also had a Muggle repellant charm at the perimeter, which helped greatly when pesky neighbors tried to catch a glimpse of them. Lily and her family were considered 'odd' since they lived in a house with no 'electricity'. Little did Muggles know that they were wizards and witches, and that magic interfered heavily with 'electricity.'

Lily and Albus turned off of Hayworth Dr., the street where they lived, and onto River Rd. When they weren't passing houses, they were passing bare fields or lonely playgrounds. But Albus loved to walk around the neighborhood because there was something new every day. He told stories how he finally met some of the neighbors and how warm they were, and how he found a scruffy black dog roaming around and how he fed it leftovers (though his mother wasn't so keen about him playing with a stray dog).

Lily said, "I can't believe I've never seen this part of the neighborhood before," as they passed houses that looked like they had been abandoned for years. Albus told her that they were in the part of the neighborhood where no one dwelled in because it was abandoned and filthy, despite the lively part of the neighborhood that they lived in. Lily could've even sworn she saw someone looking at them from behind one of the windows of a rotting old house.

Albus smirked and said, "I heard you and James got in a fight some time ago."

"When _haven't _we fought?" Lily snorted, forgetting about the woman. Albus laughed. For only a 13 year old, Albus had a hearty laugh of a man. It was almost identical to their father's laugh. In fact, almost everything about them was identical.

"Do you have your wand with you?" Albus questioned.

"Yeah…do you want to see it?" Lily offered, pulling it out of her pocket. "I trust you won't fool around with it like James did."

"Of course," Albus replied. Lily handed him her wand and he held it in his hands, letting his fingers feel every inch of the wand. His eyebrows narrowed like James' had. He muttered, "This wand looks like just a stick…why doesn't it have any engravings on it? Most wands do…"

Lily shrugged and replied, "I thought that myself. But I think it's a good wand."

"You haven't even used it properly yet—_Lily Potter, have you been using magic?_" Albus snapped quietly, his eyes widening.

"Albus!" Lily cried, snatching the wand away from him. "Don't act like mum. And for your information, I haven't been practicing magic lately…or at all, for that matter."

Albus put his finger to his lips and whispered, "Don't speak of magic out loud, especially in a neighborhood where the peskiest and sneakiest of neighbors live." He stopped in his tracks and looked around to see if anyone was lurking around. When he found it was safe, he continued, his voice still low, "I didn't mean to snap like that…but I don't want you doing dangerous things. Father said that when he was first practicing the Levitation Charm with a feather, a boy in his class blew up the feather and burned himself in the process, too."

Lily pursed her lips and replied, "Albus, I know you're just watching out for me—but I am _not _a child anymore. I know not to practice magic. I know not to go willy nilly with my wand. I know that—"

"—but you _are_ a child, Lily!" Albus argued. "You just don't understand the pressure an older brother has to keep his sister safe. I try not to treat you like you're some dimwit girl who knows nothing. I know you're smart. But I worry sometimes. I have the right to worry."

They continued walking in silence until they reached the end of River Rd. The only way to go was either right onto Crescent Dr. or to go straight and walk through a forested path that, when taken fully, went over the river and into the forest opposite from their house. Albus turned to Lily and asked, "Would you like to take a walk on the path? I find it relaxing if you need somewhere to escape all your problems."

_Just what I need, _Lily thought to herself. "That sounds nice," Lily replied.

They entered the forested path, and suddenly the atmosphere changed. Lily gasped and felt rejuvenated all of a sudden, as though the temper that still lingered in her was finally spilling out through every pore of her skin. The fresh aroma of leaves and plants made her feel light as a feather, and soon she felt connected to nature. A genuine smile was present on her face…it had been a long time since she had smiled like that.

"I told you, it's lovely here," Albus said, beaming.

"And it's also refreshing," Lily commented. "I don't know why I've never came here before."

Albus said, "Well, technically we're not allowed out here. But I always take a brisk walk out here whenever I need some time by myself. Sometimes it gets stressful living in this family, you know?"

Lily chuckled, "I know_ exactly _what you mean."

They walked in silence. Lily appreciated it; she wanted to soak as much peace as she could in her system without distraction. The way the birds chirped, the way the leaves rustled in the wind made her feel extraordinary. She was always kept up in the house or in the courtyard, and if they weren't in the house, they were either at Diagon Alley or visiting the rest of their family. She never really got to experience nature in her life, and there she was in the middle of a forest that's always been there.

They were walking on the side of the river, approaching the bridge to cross it, when there was a rustling behind them. Albus spun around and stepped in front of Lily, pointing his wand in the direction of the sound. Lily groaned, "Albus, it's probably some animal. Probably a chipmunk—"

Something was breathing heavily. It breathed sharp, rattling breaths that chilled Lily's spine.

"Or not," Albus mumbled, his voice surprisingly steady.

They stood there planted on their feet. Lily didn't dare move, though she peeked over Albus' shoulder to see what was there. The forest wasn't exactly thick at that point, so it would be easy to spot anything nearby, yet there was nothing. Suddenly—

"_James!_" shrieked Albus, as he was tackled onto the ground by an invisible monster. Lily thought that her brother was crying out for help, but it wasn't until she saw floating feet that she realized that Albus was yelling _at _James. Lily rolled her eyes and pulled the Invisibility Cloak off of her brother, and there was James, his eyes watering from laughter. Albus pushed James off of him and got up, brushing leaves and twigs off of his clothes.

Lily groaned, "You are ridiculous, James."

James took the cloak away from his sister and cackled, "At least I'm not insane and twirling around, getting in touch with my _inner self _with nature. That's almost as sane as the Scamander twins."

Albus couldn't help but to chuckle. But Lily didn't understand, nor did she care.

"You almost scared me to death!" Lily scolded, poking her finger at James' chest. "What would've you done if Albus would've blown your head off accidentally?"

James scoffed, "Albus wouldn't do that. He can't even hurt a fly. And I won't be talked to that way by my little sister. That's like me telling mom what to do, and that's not going to go down so well."

Lily argued, "James Potter! Stop treating me like I'm this arrogant little girl!"

"Well, you sort of _are—_"

Lily retorted, "That's it. Goodbye." And she stomped off back home without looking back. She could hear James mumbling about her attitude, but he didn't understand what it felt like to be the only witch in the family who couldn't even do a simple spell yet. She felt outcast from her family, since her father was one of the greatest wizards of all time, since her mother fought in many famous battles, and since her brothers did so well in school that James was made prefect this year.

Lily walked out of the forest and suddenly felt a dramatic transition. Even in the forest she wasn't as ballistic to James as she normally would be. The setting in there was so much different, as though there was a strong enchantment. Lily looked behind her and looked back into the forest, yet she couldn't see Albus or James. She bit her lip hesitantly, wondering if she should return for her brothers. But then she saw a twig near the edge of the forest crack in half by itself, and she knew perfectly clear that going back wasn't necessary—with that, she broke off in a run back home.

—

Lily was trapped. She was chained to an uncomfortable chair in front of a crowd of unfamiliar faces, all of them sniggering at her. She was in a large, stone walled room with giant torches on the wall, spitting out ominous red flames.

"_Slytherin! Slytherin!_" the crowd chanted.

"No!" Lily cried. "I don't want to be in Slytherin—!"

There was a sound of a door crashing open and the crowd turned around. Lily was unable to see who had entered, but by the sound of the crowd's wicked cackling, she knew that it wasn't someone good. A hooded figure made its way through the crowd and walked up to Lily. Their face was shadowed but Lily could make out the person's long, pointed, wart covered nose.

"This girl…she looks devious, cunning, and dark…" the hooded figure screeched in a bone chilling voice. "She belongs in _Slytherin._"

"No!" Lily whimpered. "I-I'm a Potter, I deserve to be a Gryffindor!"

The hooded figure cackled, "O-ho! A Potter? I think you're _lying, _girl. In fact…you seem like a useless, dirty Squib!"

"I am not a Squib!" Lily screamed, her heart racing.

The hooded figure snatched Lily's wand from Lily's pocket and inspected it, laughing with every stroke they took. They bellowed, "This here, students, is nothing but a _twig _from a tree. This girl is obviously _not _a witch!"

"No! I got it from Olliv—!"

"_Squib! Squib! Squib!_" the crowd chanted. Lily struggled to get out of the chair but the chains were tightly bound to her that she could barely budge.

The hooded figure put their gloved hand in the air and roared, "To the dungeon she goes, where she'll stay there and starve for many nights! Then she'll be fed to the school _dragon._" The chains suddenly _disintegrated_ and Lily bolted from the chair, fighting her way through the crowd to the open doors. They shoved her towards the door as though they wished for her to flee, but it was when Lily reached the threshold that she realized that she wasn't escaping so easily.

Unable to stop, she tripped down a flight of stairs. The light coming from the room full of cackling people faded quickly as she rolled down in complete blackness. Her screams echoed hauntingly, and the temperature got warmer and warmer as she descended into the unknown. Then there was a growl and a burst of brilliant yellow flames—

"Lily, _Lily!_"

Lily awoke suddenly to the sound of her father's voice.

He smiled and said, "Today's the day."


End file.
